Firaxis rethinks who makes history, and how it unfolds

As creative director of the Civilization series, Ed Beach is one of the more precise and economical thinkers in videogame design. As we talk to him about the forthcoming seventh mainline entry, though, he’s clearly in an expansive mood. “I have always thought that the ultimate opponent in a Civilization game should be Machiavelli,” he tells us, spreading his arms wide at the thought. “If you can out-duel Machiavelli in a Civilization game, then you can put that up on your shelf, give yourself a little trophy.”

It’s a lovely idea, but there’s been a problem with Machiavelli for the entirety of Civilization’s history. The author of The Prince has never fit neatly within the turn-based strategy series’ idea of what a leader actually is. “We’ve always had trouble figuring out Machiavelli,” Beach admits. “Who would he be? The leader of Florence? Florence was where he was a key advisor, but he was never officially in charge.” Nor did Florence have the largest impact on Renaissance Italy. “They occasionally had an army and would go and besiege a few places,” he continues, “but it was awkward to put it in the game.” Machiavelli was thus always designated a ‘Great Person’, or similar. Until now. Beach smiles triumphantly: “In Civilization VII, he is a leader.”